Dolcezza Gelato Review

I have passed Dolcezza Gelato's Dupont Circle location many times and it has been on my dessert bucket list for months now. However, I finally decided I had to go when I found out that they are open in the morning and serve coffee and pastries.

They open at 8am Saturday morning and have speedy WiFi. I am not the typical college student and have become an early bird because I am the most productive from 8am-1pm. So this Saturday I decided to make the short trip to Dupont Circle with my laptop and a book in hand to catch up on some blog posts, indulge in a new book and see what Dolcezza has to offer.

I decided to try the almond croissant and a cappuccino. Prices were a little higher compared to Starbucks, but the croissant could easily serve two (I saved my second half for dessert that night)! The coffee was strong and I always love when shops have designs in the foam.

I will definitely return in the school year because I am always looking for a new coffee shop to study in! They also have Argentine cookies called Alfajores, two biscuits with a dulce de leche spread which I am looking forward to trying. Not only was the coffee amazing, but I got to try their yummy almond croissant. I love the coffee shop vibe for studying because it has just enough background noise, but is cozy and inviting, allowing me to be comfortable and productive. The fact that Dolcezza is open on Sundays, basically the perfect day of the week to study, is just another plus because DC has a bad habit of many shops being closed on Sundays. Now, I also need to take a trip back for their gelato.

Lauren's 10 Tips to Surviving Your First Time at Lollapalooza

Hey everybody! I am getting so excited for my trip to Chicago with just 7 days left until 3 days of nonstop music and spending time outside in beautiful (or sometimes super hot) weather. 2012 was my first year at Lollapalooza (it just happened to be so perfect that I couldn't help but make it an annual tradition!) and this post is dedicated to helping out any newbies with a few helpful hints on how to prepare and fully enjoy your 3 days of music.

1. Spend a little time doing your homework
I know that homework is a terrible word but this is the best homework anyone could ever assign to you. Do a little research on the bands who will be playing at the festival. Last year I didn't fully invest in this and missed out on some great, smaller bands. For example, I had not heard of Tame Impala last year and I missed out on their set for no good reason!

2. Get there early.
Okay 12 noon is not that early and you just paid $235 for a 3-day pass or $95 for a 1-day pass. Don't waste your time sleeping. You never know what band you might hear. Also, if you get there early on Friday you can take a little time to see where all the stages are, locate Chow Town, as well as restroom locations. Getting the lay of the land will help, especially for that time when you are desperately hungry or only have a few minutes between shows at different stages.

3. Be prepared for mud.
Last year it rained on Saturday and we had to evacuate Grant Park. Yeah, that wasn't the best to force 100,000 inebriated festivalgoers who just wanted to listen to some music out of the park and back to their hotel rooms or evacuation locations for 3 hours. When we returned later that evening it really had poured, meaning that grass and dirt areas turned into mud pits, which people gladly made into their own personal Slip and Slide. So don't wear anything you don't mind getting dirty.

4. Be ready for some conflicts.
With so many bands and 8 stages you can't see them all. My biggest conflict last year was when Black Sabbath and The Black Keys played at opposite sides of the park at the same time. I chose Black Sabbath because I had seen The Black Keys a few months prior, but I heard the Keys played an amazing show. You might miss out on a few things, but don't be disappointed I ended up seeing about 30 bands last year.

5. Talk to strangers.
I met some of the most fascinating and friendly people at Lollapalooza last year. I talked to many people who had a similar taste in music to me. I had some funny and odd conversations and also got a lot of music recommendations, as well as compliments on my Band of Skulls and Dead Weather t-shirts. It's amazing how nice people can be when you are all on vacation, listening to music, spending time outside, and having a great time.

6. Drink water.
It will be hot and it will be humid, or at least it was last year. Also, they have free refill stations so you should bring a reusable water bottle to fill up. It is really nice that they don't force you to buy $5 bottles of water.

7. If you want merch buy it the first day.
Don't expect to have unlimited sizes available on Sunday. People who wanted their t-shirts, stickers, water bottles, CDs, etc. have already bought them and there might not be a lot left. If you want it that badly buy it ASAP!

8. Cell phone service might not be perfect.
100,000 fans in one park updating their Twitter and Instagram accounts or texting their friends makes even a city with great cell service not always reliable. 4G and service might be slow so it can make it hard to meet up with people.

9. Check out an Aftershow (or two or three)
Last year I went to the FIDLAR and JEFF the Brotherhood's show at Subterranean. It was great to check out a club I had never been to, as well as get a chance to see the bands twice in one weekend. Also, Lollapalooza is over at 10pm due to noise curfews so any aftershow fills up your free time. If you are in the under 18 crowd be sure to check for age restrictions as many shows are 17, 18 or 21+.

10. Enjoy yourself.
You are listening to music for ten hours a day, three days in a row. If you like music and you are spending time with friends and/or family just appreciate it. Don't think about projects you have at work on Monday, don't think about anything that stressed you out last week, just think about the music. Last year was amazing and the second that Jack White's set ended at 10pm on that Sunday evening I knew I had to go back, so savor every minute of it because it goes by way too fast.

Kurt Vile & The Violators @ 9:30 Club July 20 2013

Kurt Vile, a very talented alternative artist is originally from Philadelphia, PA. He played in the indie rock group The War on Drugs prior to releasing his solo albums with the Violators. I am not one of Kurt Vile's oldest fans, but I easily got hooked on his newest album, Waking On a Pretty Daze, which was released this spring. I was eager to purchase my ticket once I knew that Kurt was playing at the 9:30 Club because they never fail to have perfect sound quality, which is can be lacking at smaller venues.

Kurt has this awkward and quirky personality when he speaks to the audience. He also has a great smile and you can tell he is elated that he is creating music that is making people happy. The crowd was super mellow and fans bobbed their heads, tapped their feet and got into the music in their own way when Kurt opened with "Wakin on a Pretty Day," which was the perfect song to open for this set because it got the audience to sing along. He is a versatile guitarist, constantly switching guitars between songs to construct different sounds. I love how he can play mellow songs and then right after power through a harder rock song. 

"KV Crimes" is also from his new album and is great live because of the powerful chords and  short but quick riffs that he plays throughout the song. I also noticed the drummer got really into the set on this song. He really starts to rock out at "KV Crimes." Later on in the show, he played my favorite song of the night, "Hunchback" (see a clip above) which he plays on his Jazzmaster-- or is it a Jaguar?--guitar. It is psychedelic with a touch of blues and 100% enjoyable. 

Afterwards, they played "Baby's Arms" which is the one song where you can listen and feel like there is no one else in the room. It is so personal and such a beautiful song that listeners clearly got so lost in the song. The whole set mesmerized me and it also helped that I was in the second row. If you even like one Kurt Vile & The Violators song you would love their shows because he has such a wide range of songs that appeal to any rock fan.

This Week's Playlist July 22nd 2013

1. Bad for My Body- Deap Vally (Set time: 1:30-2:15 Friday) **Note "Bad for my Body" is the second song on the link to their full set at Glastonbury 2013

2. Breakers- Local Natives (Set time: 4-5 Saturday)

3. Came a Long Way- Heartless Bastards (Set time: 6-6:45 Saturday)

4. Schemers- SKATERS (Set time: 2:15-3 Sunday)

5. Halloween All Year- The Orwells (Set time: 1-1:45 Sunday)

6. Say It, Just Say It- The Mowgli's (Set time: 3:20-4 Sunday)

7. Sail to the Sun- Wavves (Set time: 4:45-5:30 Sunday)

I am so ready for Lollapalooza! August 2nd cannot come soon enough, but luckily it is now only eleven more days away. Here is my feature on a lot of the smaller bands I am looking forward to to seeing in two weeks. Note that I did not include any headliners because most people already know their songs and already have their evenings planned out. But for those concertgoers who don't know who to see in the early afternoon and evening take a look at songs on this playlist.

Although they are all alt-rock bands this playlist is pretty diverse. You have Deap Vally's raw sound from the LA-duo Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards to Wavves punk vibes and The Mowgli's sweet and mellow sound, all of which are perfect for listening to live.

I also featured a song from SKATERS and The Orwells because I will be attending their Official Aftershow at Schuba's in Chicago on Saturday night. If you are going to Lollapalooza I highly recommend seeing at least one aftershow because they aren't too expensive and it is great to see a band you love in a typical club setting, as well as on an outdoor stage. They also tend to play slightly different sets so you might get to hear their popular songs twice and a sampling of their older tracks.

Happy listening and get ready for Lollapalooza. If you are not lucky enough to go this year definitely look online for live streams of most of the concerts. They tend to have great quality (sound and picture) so if you can't be there you can still discover some new bands.

xx Lauren

Pop's Ice Cream Review

Address and Neighborhood: 109 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314  in Old Town Alexandria

Price Range: $ (under $10)

Overall rating: 4.5/5 Food Quality and Overall Value

Being from New England means that I love homemade ice cream. I don't care if it is 30 degrees or 90 degrees, I will still eat it for dessert. In the Boston area, I am spoiled by the number of homemade ice cream shops, but these are rare gems in Washington, DC. This was my first trip out to King Street, Alexandria (only takes about 20 minutes on the Metro), but it was a great way to get out of the city and it reminded me a lot of quaint, New England towns on the waterfront.

Walking into Pop's I was overwhelmed by their 63 flavors of ice cream. I could not help but sample two flavors: Baileys and Kahlua Chocolate Chip. Both were delicious so I decided to get one scoop of each in a cake cone. THe Kahlua Chocolate Chip is great because coffee and chocolate are two of my favorite things, so put the two together in the form of ice cream and I will definitely enjoy it! They also have a few flavors I would want to try next time I return to Pop's. One is a flavor aptly named "The Cavity," featuring vanilla ice cream with M&Ms, Snicks, Heath Bar and Butterfinger pieces and Coconut Cinnamon Crackers, which has cinnamon Teddy Grahams and coconut flakes. 63 flavors is way too many to try in one visit so I will definitely be stopping by King St on a beautiful weekend day when I have the time for shopping, as well as eating some more ice cream!

This Week's Playlist July 15th 2013

1. Aqualung- Jethro Tull

2. Sunshine of Your Love- Jimi Hendrix (originally by Cream)

3. War Pigs- Black Sabbath

4. Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution- AC/DC

5. Little Wing- Jimi Hendrix

6. I Want You (She's So Heavy)- The Beatles

7. Dancing Days- Led Zeppelin

I absolutely love rock music from any time period and any sub-genre, from indie to grunge and I can't forget classic rock. The 1970s is, arguably, one of the best decades of rock music. I still remember when I "discovered" these bands for the first time in middle school and was amazed by their talent, raw sound, and classic lyrics.

Out of the bands that made it into my playlist this week I would say that I listen to Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin the most.

"Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream is a classic, and Jimi Hendrix does a great cover, bringing his feedback-filled guitar riffs and making someone else's song into his own. He turns the four minute song into a eight minutes of face-melting guitar solo time.

I know, I know "War Pigs" is a typical and one of the most famous Black Sabbath songs, but it is still the best in my opinion. Last year, when Black Sabbath played at Lollapalooza this song was absolutely amazing live. Tony Iommi can still play the guitar as well as he did years ago and Ozzy was still belting out the lyrics.

Although, this one Beatles song, "I Want You (She's so Heavy)" always struck me and took away from their typically pop sound. This song is approximately eight minutes long, but only has fourteen different words and a few ominous guitar riffs. Although it is dark and technically very repetitive it has a beautiful and unique twist, especially the way that the chords go from a beginning blues sound into a jazz-infused guitar sound later in the song. It also has an abrupt ending, making the whole song even more mysterious.


Thanks for listening to my classic rock playlist this week and look out for a Lollapalooza 2013 Lineup-inspired playlist next week
xx Lauren

Lia's Restaurant Review

Address and Neighborhood: 4435 Willard Avenue Chevy Chase, MD 20815 in the Friendship Heights/Chevy Chase neighborhood

Price Range: $$$ (Typical entrees range from $15 to $25)

Overall rating: 4/5 for Service

4.5/5 Food Quality and Overall Value

A first look at Lia's menu and you might think it is a little pricey, however, if you are dining on a budget be sure to place your dinner order between 4 and 6:30 to partake in Lia's Twilight Delight special. For $19.95 you get an appetizer, main course, and dessert. It is almost too good to be true and they definitely do not skimp on the portion sizes.

Tomato-Watermelon Gazpacho

There are still plenty of choices to choose from on the Twilight Delight menu. Since it was a typical hot and humid DC day I decided to start with the tomato-watermelon gazpacho. I loved the watermelon taste and it came with an almond lace tuile cookie on the side that paired well with the gazpacho. 

Spaghetti and Meatballs

For the main course I decided on getting a classic dish, spaghetti and meatballs. The red sauce was the perfect consistency (I am very picky about tomato sauce, but this was up to my standards!) and the meatballs had a great flavor. I also loved that it was topped with ricotta cheese. Since I knew I had to save room for my dessert the leftovers also served as great lunch the next day.

Tiramisu with Raspberry Sorbet

Finally, the best part, for dessert I ordered the classic tiramisu which came with a scoop of raspberry sorbet. The cake was perfect, with just enough espresso taste and creamy mascarpone. Also, the sorbet was the perfect accompaniment, raspberry is one of my favorite flavors because it is just the right combination of sweet and tart. It was surrounded by a sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs which added a nice crunch to the sorbet.

Overall, I highly recommend Lia's especially because the Twilight Delight is too good to pass up. Where else can you find a high quality 3-course meal for any less than $19.95? Next time, I want to try their brunch because they have Brie Stuffed French Toast and a Cinnamon Scented Waffle with mascarpone and apples.

This Week's Playlist July 8th 2013

1. Thickfreakness- The Black Keys

2. Hello Operator- The White Stripes

3. Molly's Chambers- Kings of Leon

4. Readymade- The Red Hot Chili Peppers

5. Satellite- The Kills

6. Free Love- Cage the Elephant

7. Little Black Submarines- The Black Keys

This week I decided to dig deep through my iTunes account and find some of my favorite and most memorable songs over the past ten years. Many of these happen to be in my Top 25 Most Played songs playlist.

"Thickfreakness" was the first Black Keys' song that I ever heard because it happened to be on a compilation CD I bought before I even knew who The Black Keys were. It starts off with a roaring guitar lick, bringing listeners right into the duo's blues and distortion-heavy sound. "Little Black Submarines" is also on This Week's Playlist because it was one of the most moving songs I have ever heard live. There is a clear resemblance that the song has to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" because of its intense crescendo. It transitions from a slow-ballad to the pure rock and roll sound that The Black Keys have mastered.

I remember hearing Cage the Elephant on WBRU (95.5) a great alternative-rock radio station in Providence, RI and stopping at Newbury Comics a few days later to buy their first album. "Free Love" struck me because it was loud on the album and even louder in concert. Their self-titled album brought a mix of funk and rock with a hint of Beck and a little Rage Against the Machine-like singing.

The Kills' album Blood Pressures is their most recent and my favorite. Alison Mosshart, lead singer in The Kills was also a member of Jack White's band The Dead Weather (another one of my favorite bands) and has the perfect smokey voice you want to hear on a rock album. This song deviates from their typical sound, but brings a slow reggae beat that sounds great with the guitar. Also, the song is pretty great live.

Thanks for reading and note I've thrown in a few links to some of my favorites from This Week's Playlist, so have a listen!
xx Lauren

Last Weekend's Restaurant Review: Bistrot Du Coin

Bistrot Du Coin

Address and Neighborhood: 1738 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, DC 20009 in Dupont Circle

Price Range: $$$ (Typical entrees range from $15-$25)

Overall rating: 4.5/5 for Service

5/5 Food Quality and Overall Value

Fondant au Chocolat Semi Amer

Make no mistake, I did rate Bistrot Du Coin 5/5 for food quality and overall value. This was my first time at Bistrot Du Coin and nothing was disappointing. The meal starts with a bread basket, which is already a good start. Although extra carbs aren’t the healthiest the Italian side of me cannot help but indulge in two pieces. They have an impressive menu to appeal to even the pickiest diners, with an array of mussels, ravioli, pasta, chicken and steak choices as well as many appetizers and desserts. It would be hard for someone not to find something to enjoy.

I decided to skip the appetizer and ordered the Tournedos Poele, Sauce Roquefort, or for those of us who don’t know too much French, pan seared steak with Roquefort sauce. The included side dish was french fries, although I asked for mashed potatoes instead, my favorite comfort food. The steak was delicious and the creamy Roquefort sauce paired nicely with the meat. The mashed potatoes were buttery with the perfect consistency. Even though the meal was plenty filling I could not help but look at their dessert menu, which had over ten choices. 


As a table we decided to order the Fondant au Chocolat Semi Amer, a bittersweet chocolate fondant served warm with vanilla ice cream. Our waiter also went above and beyond, and since we had a hard time deciding which dessert to pick also brought the Creme Caramel a l’ancienne, a classic cream caramel. Dark chocolate is one of my favorite sweets and the warm fondant cake was rich to say the least. Also, the vanilla ice cream was topped with chocolate sauce and was the perfect accompaniment for the cake. Creme caramel is similar to flan, a baked custard with caramel. In this dish the caramel was at the bottom and the custard was topped off with whipped cream. Bistrot Du Coin is on the more expensive end of my typical price range, but the food was so good that it was worth the money. I cannot wait to return and try one of their mussel dishes or the ravioli.

Last Weekend's Dinner Review: District Commons

District Commons

Address and Neighborhood: 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20037 in Foggy Bottom

Price Range: $$$ (Typical entrees range from $15 to $25)

Overall rating: 4.5/5 for Service

4.5/5 Food Quality and Overall Value

If you go to District Commons you must start out with their Hot Pretzel Baguette that is accompanied by Beer Butter Mustard. It comes fresh out of the kitchen, still steaming hot and it will only cost you $2. It is perfect for sharing with the whole table. I decided to start out with the Arugula Salad ($10) because it has Pimento Cheese Fritters and a Green Tomato Chutney dressing. The salad is an ample portion and the cheese fritters add a creamy kick to create a unique salad. I wanted to keep my meal light by choosing one of their flatbreads ($12), with roasted sweet peppers, goat cheese, basil pesto and pine nuts.

The flat bread is crispy and light, but it doesn’t leave you feeling hungry, I even had a few slices to take home that were still good after a quick 30 seconds in the microwave. Although I was too full for dessert I secretly ogled the customers at the table next to us when they ordered the Boardwalk Funnel cake with a heaping serving of whipped cream and butterscotch sauce. Maybe next time I will have to indulge! Finally, both the hostess and server were extremely friendly and although the restaurant was busy at the tail-end of Friday happy hour all of the food came out quickly and was absolutely delicious. I love when professional service adds to the overall food experience. Although District Commons might be a little pricey for the average college student’s budget it is worth it for a special occasion or for when family comes into the city.

My Weekend Brunch Review

This weekend my grandparents and parents came for a visit to the District. We made a lot of great DC trips, such as going to the National Gallery of Art and the American History museum, but what DC weekend trip would be complete without a few good meals? Here is my review of the two brunch meals we went to at Founding Farmers and Ted's Bulletin. Keep an eye out for my dinner reviews coming later this week!

Founding Farmers

Address and Neighborhood: 1924 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20006 in Foggy Bottom

Price Range: $/$$ (Typical breakfast entrees range from $5-$15)

Overall rating: 4/5 for Service

4/5 Food Quality and Overall Value

Founding Farmers is located right on the edge of GW’s campus and boasts a great menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My parents and I personally find their breakfast to be their best meal and it is surprisingly inexpensive. I always like to try as many of the menu items as possible and usually when my family comes to visit we rotate plates to try a little bit of everything.

If you are dining with a group I recommend starting off with Uncle Buck’s Beignets which comes with three sauces: raspberry, chocolate and caramel. They do take 20 minutes so be sure to order shortly after being seated. The great thing about a plate that is made to order is that they are still hot when they arrive at the table and topped with powdered sugar.

My Dad and I split the Buttermilk Carrot Cake Pancakes ($8) and the McCann’s Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal ($5). The oatmeal comes with a fabulous vanilla bean cream, golden raisins, almonds, brown sugar, and fresh strawberries. Not only are the accompaniments a great way to spice up a typical breakfast dish, but it is also only $5. I can barely walk out of any food establishment in DC (quick-serve or wait-staff) without spending $10, so let’s just say this is a quite a steal. The pancakes are perfectly fluffy, have a light cinnamon taste with carrot shreds, and to top it off the center of the stack is filled with a cream cheese frosting. Overall, you can get plenty of great food with a small price tag. I do have one important recommendation though. In order to avoid the wait times be sure to book your reservation about a week or two in advance and you should get seated right on time!

Ted’s Bulletin

Address and Neighborhood: 505 8th St SE  Washington, DC 20003 in Eastern Market/Barracks Row

Price Range: $/$$ (Typical breakfast entrees range from $5-$15)

Overall rating: 4.5/5 for Service

4.5/5 Food Quality and Overall Value

The first thing I heard about Ted’s Bulletin was that they had homemade pop tarts, probably my favorite unhealthy breakfast food since I was a kid, which alone was enough of a reason to stop by for Sunday brunch after a walk around Eastern Market. There is usually a wait because of the restaurant’s popularity, but they do have call-ahead seating which helps.

I started with the bottomless coffee which comes with your own pitcher so you can top off your mug at your leisure. Coffee is definitely a morning staple for me and this was much better than your typical weak diner-style coffee and paired nicely with the pop tarts.

    
Blueberry Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Bacon, Strawberry, Brown Sugar Cinnamon, Toasted Coconut and Nutella are the flavors that Ted’s offered on Sunday. I couldn’t decide on what flavor I wanted! I finally decided to order the Brown Sugar Cinnamon and also took a Blueberry Cheesecake one to go, which served as a yummy Monday morning treat. The crust is almost like a flaky pie crust and the filling for the brown sugar cinnamon makes me never want to eat a regular pop tart again. The blueberry cheesecake was also great, filled with real blueberries and cheesecake filling. They both were topped with sprinkles, yellow, orange, and green for the brown sugar cinnamon and blue and purple for the blueberry cheesecake. I also got to try the sausage patties and hash browns. Although the pop tarts were my favorite, the other breakfast items proved to be worth a return trip to Ted’s Bulletin.

    
Our server was kind and apologized for the long wait (although it really wasn’t too bad, thanks to calling ahead), even one of the managers stopped by to ensure that we were happy with our meals and the service. Overall, it was a great outing. Maybe next time I will stop by the 14th and S St NW, U Street neighborhood location when it opens. It will seat 170 customers, about twice the size of the Eastern Market location.

This Week's Playlist July 1st 2013

1. We Found Love- Palma Violets

2. Elephant- Tame Impala

3. Fight Test- The Flaming Lips

4. I Need Something Different- Stone Gossard

5. Deep- Pearl Jam

6. The Punks are Finally Taking Acid- FIDLAR

7. People Don't Change Blues- The Growlers

This week brings a mix of new discoveries and older favorites. On Friday, I bought tickets to the Tame Impala and Flaming Lips concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion (an outdoor venue in Columbia, MD) on October 4th. I cannot wait for such a stellar band combo. I first heard Aussie rockers, Tame Impala when their song was featured on the hit HBO show Girls, which features a great alt-indie music playlist. "Elephant" has an intense bass beat that carries the song and reminds me of a mix of indie band, Deerhunter and the pop-rock band, The Strokes.

Last week Stone Gossard, guitarist in Pearl Jam, released his album Moonlander and his solo work carries his skillful Pearl Jam guitar-playing but brings his own inspiration to "I Need Something Different" by bringing a little more grit and little less grungy punk. With Stone Gossard's album release it also brought my back to listening to Pearl Jam classics. One of my favorite songs off of their most famous album, Ten is "Deep" because of the intense and powerful lyrics that Eddie Vedder belts out to the fantastic solo that Mike McCready shreds through.

FIDLAR also shows a more versatile side in "The Punks are Finally Taking Acid" because they add a bluesy guitar riff that is not typical of their songs and the riff alone has a hint of the Black Keys' sound. There is a great YouTube video that captures fans going wild over this killer song at The Blue Star Cafe last summer in Los Angeles. Check it out here: The Punks are Finally Taking Acid (Live)- FIDLAR